1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a flywheel arrangement for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle. Such a flywheel arrangement can have a first flywheel releasably connected with a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine, and a second flywheel limitably rotatable relative to the first flywheel mass. In addition, between the two flywheels in a chamber at least partially filled with a viscous medium, a torque carrier, including a torsional vibration damper, can be disposed. The torque carrier can be formed, for example by a hub disk or cover plate for the hub disk. The chamber can be bounded on its side facing the second flywheel by a cover plate, and the cover plate, in its radially inner region, preferably works together with a seal disposed adjacent the radially inward region of the cover plate.
2. Background Information
One such type of flywheel arrangement is disclosed by German Patent No. 36 30 398 A1. This flywheel has two flywheels twistable, or rotatable relative to each other, wherein between the flywheels, a hub disk is disposed. On this hub disk, torsional vibration dampers are provided, and thereby, the hub disc acts in conjunction with cover plates as a torque carrier. The hub disk operates in a chamber enclosed by the first flywheel and a cover plate attached thereto, which chamber is filled with a viscous medium. In the region of a radially inward end of the cover plate, the cover plate abuts a seal with one end under axial pretension, such that discharge of the viscous medium from the chamber is prevented.
Since the cover plate abuts the seal axially under pretension, friction between the cover plate and the seal will regularly occur upon relative movement between the two flywheels. The friction can result in early wear of the seal, such that the seal may no longer properly fulfill its function after a certain wear condition. If a timely replacement of the seal is missed, a discharge of the viscous medium from the chamber would essentially be inevitable, and damage may thereby result to the components of the flywheel.